Cheap life-saving medicine can't playing "disappeared"

Li Gongmei

07:49 on November 4, 2016

Source: People's Daily - the People's Daily

Drug is a special commodity, about a man's life, belong to "just", to the patient has the nature of quasi-public goods. Completely on the market, low price, small dosage of drugs may be a shortage, must with the help of the government's "visible hand" to adjust to correct market failure, and ensure reasonable supply

Recently, some drug companies nationwide recall of an essential drug treatment of myasthenia gravis, bromine overlooks the Ming, the drug supply out of stock, some patients still fruitless searching January in the market.

A similar situation are not uncommon. In recent years, the media reported that the shortage of drugs have protamine, and he thiazole, actinomycin D, corticotrophin, etc. Such drugs have one thing in common, that is, the price is not high, less clinical dosage, only one or two enterprise production. But it less, not to find alternative medicines, is alternative medicine price was staggering, made it difficult for patients. For 7.8 yuan for injection corticotrophin once fired on the black market to 4000 yuan, the price to turn over 500 times, is still a box is hard to find.

Under the condition of market economy, how to understand price life-saving medicine "there is demand, supply" the strange phenomenon? From the production process, due to the low incidence, low dosage, these "niche" cost of raw materials, production line of diluted; Some drugs can even within the scope of the policy to raise prices, affected by the disease incidence of a disease, also won't have too big change, demand increases the benefits of make up for other aspects of the "no economy". Actinomycin D treatment, for example, the baby cell tumor incidence of only a few parts per million, the clinical demand is very small, increase a few times after a less than 20 yuan, each a period of treatment in patients with the use of no more than 12, manufacturers think unprofitable, lack of power production. From the sales link, at present our country drugs listed under strict GMP pharmaceutical production quality management standard regulation, if can't go into government procurement directory, health care and hospital procurement directory, drug sales channels and a lack of security. "Medicine for the medical" big background, hospitals and doctors are reluctant to use cheap drugs, and for-profit pharmacy medicine not good also too low, would not recommend to patients. So, the sales volume is not stable, or falling, further reducing the manufacturer's production will, eventually lead to low life-saving medicine little place everywhere - from factory to go to the hospital, no choice "difficult", make the shortage of the norm of the drug.

Drug is a special commodity, about a man's life, the patient belongs to "just", has the nature of quasi-public goods. Any country in the world, to drug production and marketing system, as well as in our country. Cheap life-saving medicine shortage problem is not unique in China, is a difficult problem in the international, most countries solved through government intervention - the government of the "visible hand" in addition to ensure standard, channels and price, but also solve the problem of market failure, ensure the supply of life-saving medicine for patients "palm".

In 2007, China had tried drug shortage of fixed-point production system, but a designated enterprise production enthusiasm has been is not high, because supporting measures are not available, a variety of "economy" problem still allows businesses to wince. His shan zhishi and lessons have, in recent years, management has done to cheap life-saving medicine production and marketing policy adjustments. In 2014, the national development and reform commission and other relevant departments of policies, directory of drugs for into the state's low-cost drugs, cancel the highest retail price, allow production operators within the average daily expenses standard, according to the drug production cost and market supply and demand to fix or adjust the retail price, to ensure reasonable profits, and put forward to build up reserves such as shortage of normal drug policies that ensure low supply of the drug. In 2016, there were five QiHuo group of fixed-point production of three kinds of shortages of medicines, and can be hung directly net purchases. At present, the shortage of 9 class medicine of protamine has to restore the market supply, bromine overlooks Ming also has gradually restore market supply.

However, now there are many cheap life-saving medicine "is hanging on by a thread". Industry experts worried: cheap drugs are at an annual rate of dozens of disappear. In order not to let patients because such as medicine and lose the chance of cure and survival, the government of the "visible hand" should also use more energy!

First, relevant departments should establish a "national shortage of drug information platform", pooling drug supply and demand information in time, including production, pre production, circulation and the demand and so on, for the enterprises and the public, for the suffering of the patients from traveling for medicine, also let the manufacturer know. Second, the shortage of health care policy and should be drug management system standards, health care management department through the means such as price negotiations, communication with the pharmaceutical industry, to determine a patient and pharmaceutical factory are acceptable price and implement dynamic adjustment, to encourage companies to maintain production. Finally, national shortage of drugs can be designated production, or to a certain amount of subsidy, the inventory to meet the demand for treating patients.

We believe that the government is not lack of "visible hand", medical treatment, medicine, health care "3 d" support in place, price, reserves, using their own security system, such as low life-saving medicine won't "thrown off" "disappear".

The People's Daily (17 November 4, 2016 edition)